A reader sent me this article from The Atlantic. Some quotes:
As the sheer quantity of clothing available to the average American has grown over the past few decades, everything feels at least a little bit flimsier than it used to...
The most obvious indication of these changes is printed on a garment’s fiber-content tag. Knits used to be made entirely from natural fibers.... Now... the overwhelming majority of yarn used in mass-market knitwear is blended with some type of plastic.
Knits made with synthetic fiber are cheaper to produce. They can be spun up in astronomical quantities to meet the sudden whims of clothing manufacturers... But by virtually every measure, synthetic fabrics are far inferior.
- Your Sweaters Are Garbage. Even expensive sweaters have lost their hefty, lush glory. <https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/sweater-clothing-quality-natural-fibers-fast-fashion/675600/>
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I'm glad this issue is getting some attention.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest issues are clearly labor and animal abuses, along with environmental degradation due to these sweaters getting cranked out.
But somewhere down the list of sad realities is that people are getting ripped off. How in the world are sweaters from brands like J. Crew that are made by some sub-sub-sub contractor with bottom of the barrel wool that's so short it needs nylon to hold it together worth 2/3 or 3/4 the price of a sweater made with 100% British wool with meaningful protections for the laborers and animals involved?
I have to imagine people just don't know better because all brick and mortar places that sold the good stuff in their town got killed off, first by malls, then by Google ads driven e-commerce.
“ I have to imagine people just don't know better”
DeleteIt is apparent with each passing year just how true that statement is.
I can’t fathom who would pay $400 for a synthetic-blend sweater when you can buy a genuine William Lockie lambswool sweater for £250 and cashmere for £300, made in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteOne key point that seems to be missing is that 100% lambswool sweaters are often garbage due to thin, over-stretched yarn and cheap manufacturing processes. Such sweaters are often found in High Street and shopping mall stores. They may be cheap but they won't last long and are a false economy.
DeleteWell, does your sweater come with an expensive brand name that you can flex on your friends?
DeleteWho cares that it's pound story quality if you can display that you can afford the latest trend that is uninteresting in two weeks anyway.
What you do, is you target the youth and young-adult market and let it dominate all your merchandising, and you can sell young folks ANYTHING if you tell them it has "stretch," which means plastics (even while you tout your environmentalism and flatter theirs). Of course you make all your other customers feed from the same trough. Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat the fiber content of the '70s, as are those who did not hoard better stuff while they could.
ReplyDeleteI am guessing that Muffy's readers buy there sweaters wisely and well and are quite capable of not buying garbage. I also think high quality sweaters do not need to be particularly expensive.
ReplyDeleteDespite my anonymity, please know I meant "their." Thank you.
DeleteWe knew, and are relieved you did, also.
DeleteI'd order quality items from many of the outfitters mentioned here but so many seem to be overseas or only available in establishments far from me. I need to see, feel and try things on first and don't care for making multiple returns when things don't suit.
ReplyDeleteThis exactly!
DeleteThis is a common thread of discussion among the folks I know. Retail etc.. tend to blame the consumer, saying "we" demanded cheaper goods, but I'm old enough to remember when quality didn't automatically translate into higher prices. Call it corporate greed if you like. Fast fashion hasn't helped either. Brands found out they could improve profit margins by degrading quality but the astute consumer does start to notice the difference and will spend their money elsewhere. The second hand market for quality branded clothing is doing well for a reason.
ReplyDeleteI so agree with this observation. I have found that all of my older clothes are much better quality than anything we have today. It is very sad to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's a reminder to shop carefully. Thirty years ago, mass market sweaters from J Crew and LL Bean were pretty high quality - good yarn, panels and collars knit together with yarn rather than machine-stitched with thread. I still wear a few of them. Bean returned to making its Norwegian fisherman sweaters in Norway after an abortive attempt to make them in China between the 90s and around 2010.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't handle a sweater in person at a store, check it out on arrival. The best Shetland and Icelandic sweaters are knit round, no seams - Bosie/Harley, good example of that. Feel the fabric. if the sweater has seams, check to see if they're knit or machine-stitched with thread. Arthur Beale still knits them together. (Seams aren't a deal-breaker for me if the fabric feels good. I have
Devold fisherman's sweater made from wonderful wool and the collar knit on. The sleeves and side seams are finished by machine).
Quality, will out!
ReplyDeleteI was just lamenting this the other day. I bought a few sweaters second hand but with their tags on to try to see if I liked the general styles, cuts, and colors on me before I invested in something, and within a few wears and washes they had holes and looked terrible. Out of shape and faded even after careful handing, air drying, etc. One even had a hole in the pocket before I wore it! It came with a hole! I was astonished! What a waste of money and unkindness to the earth and the people who make clothing. I did find out I like the longer length open cardigan style on me, and a few jewel tones, at least!
ReplyDeleteAmanda Mull is a fantastic journalist for anything she puts her focus on, but she has a background in fashion/textiles, so it's great to see her article gaining traction.
ReplyDeleteI do hope this topic breaking into mainstream publications and water cooler conversations alike means we'll generally start questioning why we're being told that all our clothing needs plastics in them. As Mull notes, its hardly environmentally friendly on top of a degradation in quality.
I was just in the Cordings shop in London this weekend, and the most surprising thing to me is a nice 100% Scottish wool jumper there costs the same or less than a synthetic fleece (polyester/plastic) jumper from The North Face or Patagonia!
Good news
DeleteAs long as people keep purchasing subpar products manufacturers will continue to produce them. And people will continue to purchase them as long as the “ influencers “ post fashion haul videos with ten plus items that cost a hundred dollars or less.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I find disturbing is this push for "sustainable" fabric. But I don't think there is anything sustainable about polyester and numerous other ones being pushed on us. All they are going to do is create pollution, either in the manufacturing process or down the road when they are tossed aside. When did wool, all cotton and other natural materials get such a bad reputation?
ReplyDeleteRecycled plastic for a black garbage bag or recycled polyester in your garments, beware of the toxic chemicals either way.
ReplyDeleteBad idea. Truly nefarious. Check this university paper on the matter: https://www.gu.se/en/news/hundreds-of-toxic-chemicals-in-recycled-plastics
ReplyDelete